What IS a Cruise Director???

[Ash]

Hi!

I feel totally stupid asking, but I'm still a cruise virgin <until April!! & the honeymoon>. I know what the Captain does. I know what the Navigator, Matre'D, stewards, etc do. I do not know the purpose of the Cruise Director & he or she appears to be an important factor in my cruising adventure.

When I think of a CD, the only image I get is of Julie McCoy from the Love Boat (oops, my age is showing!) and visions of skeet-shooting and counseling dancing through my head.

Anybody out there got some good stories about what a cruise director does to make the vacation more? I know activities planning is part of the job, but what are some of the activities? I haven't found a thread about what happens on ships besides walking, exercising, and eating <which sound magnificent!>. I'm looking for events, contests, entertainment information. What can I hope to find?

Thanks!
Ash

[carrie]

Well, a Cruise Director wears many hats on a ship, and to some people he/she can make or break a cruise! It does not matter much to me, if the cruise director is good or bad, I still have a great time on the ship. I have liked some, and not liked some.

The cruise director will MC a lot of the shows, and be invloved in most or all of the poolside games like horse racing, belly flop contests, and sexy legs contest. Also the newleywed game, and so on. He also shows up in the lounges on theme nights dressed in costume.

He has a complete staff that run a lot of the activities like bingo and slot machine contests, etc........

[LisaK]

quite a few of them are very talented as singers, musicians, comics whatever, on our last cruise Graham(the CD) was playing the drums with one of the bands. Their main job (that you see) is to organize all the day-to-day activites on board the ship They really earn their pay if you want to plan some sort of special event while onboard.

[rayb]

I will give my unofficial opinion of who the CD is.

The Cruise Director is on the Captain's Staff. He/she is in Charge of all Intertainment and personnel who make all the intertainment. Overseas all personel on his Staff. He normally occupies a residence onboard the ship along with the Captain, Navigator, Chief Engineer etc. He does not run the ship perse but he is responsible for all the activities.

[Thomas]

He's the one who helps me find my cabin after all those drink specials.

Regards,
Thomas

[Ash]

***Thomas, you big Silly!***

What sort of games & stuff does the CD arrange for the wide variety of people on the ship?

Ash

[Jim Bragg]

What Ray said. The CD is THE p[erson behnd every activity you see onboard be it from the showroom, Lido deck entertainment, games, bingo, information tours, to bridge games. He is the man in charge of making the passengers happy and wanting to come back. Unless it has something to do with the actual operation of the ship itself, the rooms, the food, or the drinks, the CD is responsible.
Jim

Hello,

A cruise director is an overpaid comedian.

[Marc]

The current cruise director on the Seven Seas Mariner is Barry Hopkins; I think he should still be there when you board. He is fantastic. He is a trained singer and actor.

He will be the main interface with the passengers. He introduces the shows, is seen around the ship with various activities, and manages around 25 staff that run the various entertainment and activities onboard. Barry will give a lecture on the Royal Family (a favorite topic of his), will provide a lecture on digital cameras, and may show up in one of the lounges for singing (he sang at Dodi Fayed's funeral).

We have cruised with Barry twice. I really enjoy talking with him; his enthusiasm is so enjoyable. Although my wife thinks Jamie (on the Voyager) is the best cruise director, I am still partial to Barry.